Twelve young martial artists from Laguna Beach’s Cho’s Academy competed and medaled in tae kwon do sparring and hyung at the 20th Annual KS Choi California Open, held at the Home Depot Center in Carson last month. More than 1,000 young competitors participated in the event.

The medal count by Cho’s team, ages 6 to 15, was four golds and one silver in sparring, one silver and one bronze in hyung, and a school participation appreciation award. Academy owner and martial arts expert Jacob Cho opened the studio in 2009.

In preparation for the tournament, the academy hosted a workshop with a martial arts master and friend, Andre Lima, a 30-year martial arts veteran who holds a seventh-degree black belt in tae kwon do and a third-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Cho’s students also traveled to a Lima school in Torrance to cross-train with his students.